TV & Movies
Rory Kinnear To Star In The BBC’s Creepy Christmas Adaptation
Here’s everything we know so far about The Mezzotint.
Once you have devoured Christmas dinner, opened every present, and worked your way through the Quality Streets, it’s always nice to sit back and watch some festive TV. In 2019 we were treated to a particularly dark rendition of Charles’ Dickens A Christmas Carol and now, two years later, the BBC is planning to spook us once again, this time with an adaptation of M. R. James’ 1904 short story The Mezzotint. The 30-minute special has been adapted by writer and actor Mark Gatiss – who many will recognise as Mycroft Holmes from Sherlock – but what else is there to know about The Mezzotint?
The Mezzotint Premiere Date
The BBC has said that The Mezzotint will be available on BBC Two and iPlayer “this Christmas” but no specific date has been revealed yet. Watch this space.
The Mezzotint Plot
In this chilling tale, set in 1922, university lecturer Edward Williams receives an engraving of an unknown country house. However, every time he looks at the image, it appears different – with a menacing figure coming in and out of view.
The Mezzotint Cast
The Mezzotint’s impressive cast features appearances from Rory Kinnear (Years & Years, No Time To Die) as Williams, Robert Bathurst (Cold Feet) as Garwood, and Frances Barber (Doctor Who) as Mrs. Ambrigail, with John Hopkins (Poldark), Emma Cunniffe (Roadkill), Nikesh Patel (Indian Summers), and Tommaso Di Vincenzo (Dracula).
What Else Is There To Know About The Mezzotint?
As mentioned, Mark Gatiss is adapting The Mezzotint for BBC Two but he’ll also be directing it, too. Gatiss has previously worked on other Christmas adaptations including Martin’s Close, The Tractate Middoth, as well as his own original stories The Dead Room and Crooked House.
Speaking about The Mezzotint, Gatiss told the BBC, “It's delightful to be bringing a little seasonal unease to the nation once again and this famous M. R. James story is just the ticket. We’ve assembled a top-notch team to bring this eerie mystery – and a certain enigmatic old picture – to life.”
